OWNED AND DONATED BY BARNEY GWATKIN. WORN BY CHARLIE KING WHEN HE WAS KILLED AT FORT MACLEOD STAMPEDE IN 1924.
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ON 20 MAY 2010, COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED RETURNED LETHBRIDGE RESIDENT ART ATKINSON (B. 1940) WITH REGARDS TO HIS PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF A PAIR OF BOOTS (P19738111000) DONATED BY BARNEY GWATKIN IN 1973.
IN 1970, ATKINSON – A NATIVE OF STAR CITY SASKATCHEWAN, RELOCATED TO LETHBRIDGE WITH HIS WIFE FLORENCE JEAN ATKINSON, NEE BROUGHTON. JEANS MOTHER, CATHERINE LOUISE BROUGHTON, B1903, NEE MACDONALD , [GRANDDAUGHTER OF JOSEPH (TIN CUP) DUBRAY AND LOUISE KIRTNESS, WAS A COUSIN WITH BARNEY GWATKIN’S WIFE, EMILY GWATKIN, NEE BOUCHER.
EMILY WAS GRANDDAUGHTER OF JOSEPH (TIN CUP), DUBRAY AND LOUISE KIRTNESS. EMILY AND CATHERINE WERE COUSINS WITH SAM STEELE’S GRANDDAUGHTER, EVA HOYT OF MONTANA USA. THE THREE COUSINS SPENT TIME TOGETHER ON THE OCCASIONS OF CATHERINE VISITING LETHBRIDGE FROM STAR CITY, SASKATCHEWAN AND CONTACTING EVA WHO TRAVELED FROM MONTANA.
THE ATKINSONS CONSIDERED EMILY AND BARNEY TO BE THEIR ONLY FAMILY IN LETHBRIDGE AND CONSEQUENTLY SPENT SIGNIFICANT TIME FROM 1970 -1983 IN THEIR HOME, ENJOYED MANY DINNERS IN ADDITION TO ART ACCOMPANYING BARNEY OUT TO HIS RANCH IN ORDER TO LOOK AT CATTLE AND SURVEY RATTLESNAKE NESTS ETC.. ONE SUCH OCCASION, FOR EXAMPLE, BARNEY INFORMED ART ABOUT THE KAINAI’S BURIAL OF RESERVE MEMBERS ON HIS LAND ON ACCOUNT THE MEMBERS HAD DIED OF DISEASE THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AND DIDN’T WANT THEM BURIED ON THE RESERVE.
THE BOOT STORY WAS SHARED BY BARNEY WITH ART ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. ACCORDING TO ART, THE “NEW” COWBOY BOOTS, POINTED-OUT VISUALLY TO HIM, WERE, ACCORDING TO BARNEY, LENT OUT DURING THE MACLEOD RODEO IN 1924 AND A COWBOY WAS KILLED WEARING THEM. ART RECALLED ASKING THE QUESTION, “WHY WAS HE WEARING YOUR BOOTS?” TO WHICH BARNEY REPLIED, “THAT’S WHAT WE USED TO DO … BEHIND THE CHUTE WE WOULD CHANGE OUR CLOTHES [GIVING THEM TO THE RODEO COWBOY] IN ORDER THAT THE CONTESTANT WOULD LOOK GOOD”. ATKINSON ADDITIONALLY COMMENTED, “BARNEY USED TO SAY “COWBOY PRIDE” A LOT. IN THIS CASE, COWBOY PRIDE LED THEM [BARNEY] TO BORROW THEIR BEST AVAILABLE CLOTHES SO THE GUY IN THE RING LOOKED GOOD.” THE BOOTS IN QUESTION WERE SHOWN TO ATKINSON IN THE GWATKIN HOME. THEY WERE TEMPORARILY LENT TO THE KILLED CONTESTANT AND BARNEY, STATED ATKINSON, MANAGED TO GET THEM BACK AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
ON 16 JULY, 2010, MACLEAN INVITED BARNEY GWATKIN’S SON RICHARD TO THE GALT TO SEE IF HE HAD ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ATKINSON. AS FAR AS RICHARD COULD RECALL, THE BOOTS WERE ORIGINALLY BARNEY’S, RETURNED TO HIM AFTER CHARLIE KING WAS FATALLY INJURED. RICHARD ADDITIONALLY MENTIONED THAT HIS SISTER LORNA’S MEMORY MAY BE BETTER THAN HIS OWN.
THE CONTENT ABOVE WAS APPROVED BY ATKINSON PER ITS ACCURACY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON KING’S DEATH, PLEASE SEE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS ATTACHED TO THE DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

PLAINS INDIGENOUS CULTURE
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.

MADE BY A LOCAL BLACKSMITH, DONOR, MRS. HAGELL UNSURE OF WHO OR DATE.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.

1. BOX. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. 2 PIECE. BROWN CARDBOARD. ONE PIECE HAS BOTTOM AND SIDES THAT ARE REINFORCED WITH PAPER TAPE, AND FITS INSIDE OUTER PIECE. OUTER PIECE HAS BOTH ENDS OPEN. ON TOP IS A YELLOW LABEL THAT READS "ART NO. C 5009 SPRING EYED SACK NEEDLES WITH CUTTING EYES & POINTS . . . JOHN JAMES & SONS, REDDITCH. MADE IN ENGLAND.". THERE IS ALSO A YELLOW PRICE TAG ON TOP THAT READS "CONSUMERS HARDWARE". EDGES OF OUTER PIECE ARE WORN.
2. NEEDLE. 0.6(H) X 16.0(L) X 0.7(W). LARGE STEEL NEEDLE. ONE END HAS A LARGE EYE THAT IS BROKEN IN ONE SPOT, AND HAS BEEN REINFORCED WITH SOLDER (BRASS COLOURED). OTHER END OF NEEDLE IS FLATTED, CURVES SLIGHTLY DOWNWARD AND COMES TO A SHARP POINT.
3. NEEDLE. 0.3(H) X 12.5(L) X 0.5(W). NEEDLE IS ROUND EXCEPT FOR A SPOT NEAR ONE END THAT IS FLATTENED. EMBOSSED ON ONE SIDE OF FLATTENED AREA IS "12 BOYE 12"; ON OPPOSITE SIDE IS "MADE IN U.S.A.". ONE END OF NEEDLE TAPERS TO A POINT.
4. NEEDLE. 0.2(H) X 11.7(L) X 0.4(W). NEEDLE IS ROUND EXCEPT FOR AN AREA NEAR ONE END THAT IS FLATTENED. EMBOSSED ON ONE SIDE OF FLATTENED AREA IS "MILWARD"; ON OPPOSITE SIDE IS "13 MADE IN ENGLAND 13". ONE END OF NEEDLE TAPERS TO A DULL POINT.
5. NEEDLE. 0.4(H) X 12.8(L) X 0.6(W). LARGE STEEL NEEDLE. ONE END HAS A LARGE EYE THAT IS BROKEN IN ONE PLACE. OPPOSITE END OF NEEDLE IS FLATTENED AND COMES TO A SHARP POINT. IMPRESSED INTO SIDE OF NEEDLE IS "BARR BROS.".

USED TO HAND SEW UP THE TOPS OF POTATO SACKS.
ARTIFACTS CAME FROM FARM OWNED AND OPERATED BY DONOR AND HER HUSBAND, JAKE. JAKE DOGTEROM'S FATHER, JACOB, CAME TO LETHBRIDGE FROM HOLLAND IN 1912. IT WAS JACOB'S AMBITION TO BECOME A FARMER AND HE GAINED EXPERIENCE WORKING AT THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION AS WELL AS OTHER FARMS IN THE AREA. IN 1918 HE BOUGHT HIS FIRST QUARTER SECTION OF LAND, THE SE 1/4-25-8-21. JACOB MET HIS WIFE EMILY WHILE THEY WERE BOTH WORKING AT THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AND THEY MARRIED IN 1929. TOGETHER THEY FARMED THE ORIGINAL QUARTER OF LAND UNTIL 1929, WHEN THEY PURCHASED A SECOND QUARTER SECTION ADJOINING THE FIRST. THEY GREW VARIOUS CROPS INCLUDING POTATOES, CORN, ONIONS AND WHEAT. JACOB AND EMILY CONTINUED TO LIVE ON THE FARM AFTER RETIRING. JACOB PASSED AWAY IN 1975, AT THE AGE OF 80, AND EMILY IN 1986 AT THE AGE OF 86. JACOB AND EMILY HAD 7 CHILDREN, ONE OF WHOM IS DONOR'S HUSBAND JAKE. JAKE GREW UP ON THE FARM AND AFTER ATTENDING WHITE SCHOOL FOR ONE YEAR HE TOOK UP FARMING WITH HIS FATHER. THEIR MAIN CROP WAS POTATOES, WITH CATTLE, HAY AND GRAIN. JAKE MARRIED IRMA ELLIS (DONOR) OF LETHBRIDGE IN 1950 AND TOGETHER THEY HAD 4 CHILDREN. IN 1967 JAKE'S YOUNGEST BROTHER RAYMOND AND HIMSELF FORMED A PARTNERSHIP, AND THEY CONTINUED TO FARM TOGETHER UNTIL 1994 WHEN JAKE SOLD HIS QUARTER OF THE LAND. JAKE AND IRMA MOVED OFF THE FARM INTO LETHBRIDGE IN 1988 BUT STILL RETAINED QUARTER SECTION AND CONTINUED TO WORK IT UNTIL 1994. JAKE'S BROTHER HAS RECENTLY SOLD THE FARM OUT OF THE DOGTEROM FAMILY, HENCE THE DONATION OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE FARM.